The Florida Film Festival, running from April 8-17, 2022, is back for its 31st year!
By: Billy Joynt | April 7th, 2022
The Florida Film Festival, running from April 8-17, 2022, is back for its 31st year!
Enzian Theater has been hosting the Florida Film Festival since 1992, and
consistently attracts prominent talent in the film industry. The Festival will screen 167 films representing
37 countries. Of the films selected, 145 have premiere status, including 24 world premieres.
See below on the Top films that I am looking forward to viewing. Click Here for Information on Attending the Festival.
THE PHANTOM OF THE OPEN
Maurice Flitcroft is not a familiar name, even for those devoted to the PGA tour. Golf in Florida is a way of life, but while the endlessly fine days of the Sunshine State might make it a mecca for golf lovers, the sport was born in the UK. Golf is a game of skill and a little bit of luck, and because of that, even the worst golfer (with a lot of luck) can have a good day or two on the links. Unless you’re Maurice Flitcroft, who 45 years ago, was named the “world’s worst golfer” after he managed to obtain a place in the 1976 British Open, where he scored a (not bad in my book) 121 for 18 holes. Naturally that made him a household name across the pond. Academy Award® winner Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies) stars as Flitcroft with a mischievous, boyish twinkle of madness in his eyes. Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water) is his supportive and somewhat clueless wife Jean, and Rhys Ifans (Notting Hill) rounds out the cast as a put-upon and none-too-jolly gamekeeper who has had just about enough of Flitcroft’s antics. With a sweet and silly script from Simon Farnaby (Paddington 2) and a wealth of good cheer and generosity of spirit, you’d be hard pressed to find a more enjoyable film about golf.
DUAL
Karen Gillan (Doctor Who, Marvel’s “Nebula”) is Sarah, a woman who learns she is dying of a rare illness and agrees to undergo a cloning procedure that will create a “replacement” for her when she’s gone. It will look just like her, and Sarah’s last days will be spent teaching her double how to replace her. But after nearly a year of watching this alternate version insinuate herself into her life, Sarah’s mysterious illness completely vanishes. When she tries to have her clone decommissioned, it refuses to be terminated, and exercises its right to challenge her to a duel to the death, which will be broadcast for a popular TV show. Straddling a line between savage deadpan satire and high-concept storytelling, filmmaker Riley Stearns (“The Cub,” FFF 2013; The Art of Self-Defense) takes us on a sci-fi journey into the ways a catastrophic life-change can force reconsideration of one’s entire existence. Gillan delivers two hilarious performances, and Aaron Paul’s crazy supporting turn as Sarah’s personal combat trainer just adds to the ruthless, deeply cynical, and jet-black humor of this darkly off-kilter comedy.
THE DUKE
In 1961, Kempton Bunton, a 60-year-old taxi driver, stole Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first and only theft in the gallery’s history. Kempton sent ransom notes saying that he would return the painting on condition that the government invested more in care for the elderly, and he had long campaigned for pensioners to receive free television. Only 50 years later did the full story emerge—Kempton had spun a web of lies. The only truth was that he was a good man, determined to change the world and save his marriage. How and why he used The Duke to achieve that is the story behind this entertaining and wonderfully uplifting tale. Starring two of the world’s greatest actors, Oscar® winners Helen Mirren (The Queen) and Jim Broadbent (Iris), directed by Roger Michell (Notting Hill), and co-written by Richard Bean (One Man, Two Guvnors), the expertly crafted The Duke is an extraordinary true story that’s funny, charming, and downright irresistible.
JUNIPER
Upon returning home from boarding school and still dealing with the untimely death of his mother, a self-destructive Auckland teenager, Sam, discovers that his gin-soaked, wheelchair-bound, English grandmother, Ruth (Oscar® nominee and legendary actress Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years, Swimming Pool), has moved in. Their first meeting is awkward; their second, ugly, as the 17-year-old is depended upon to care for her. Things get worse when Sam finds himself stranded alone with Ruth and her nurse, Sarah, for the school holidays. But the person he gets to know is far from what he expected—she’s a funny, rude, fearless, sharp-tongued, flirtatious, ex-war photographer who can drink him and his friends under the table. Both strong-willed characters, a battle of supremacy ensues, enabling Sam to embrace life again and for Ruth to face her mortality. Filmed in the stunning New Zealand countryside, Juniper is a small gem of a comedic-drama with a big heart—an unexpected and poignant story of friendship and care that transcends the boundaries of generations.
Are there any films you're interested in? Comment them below! Click Here to view the full list of films.
Billy Joynt(Editor) - Billy has seen many movies over the years. He enjoys comedies and anything action, including the summer blockbuster movies. You can follow Billy on Twitter here. Click Here to check out Billy's Articles.
The Florida Film Festival, running from April 8-17, 2022, is back for its 31st year!
Billy Joynt (Editor) - Billy has seen many movies over the years. He enjoys comedies and anything action, including the summer blockbuster movies. You can follow Billy on Twitter here.